


And I come back changed, I can feel it in my bones

by Taliesin_niseilaT



Series: Meet Me In The Woods [4]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: 3x17 “Duet”, M/M, Musical Dreamworld, Romance, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-30
Updated: 2017-03-30
Packaged: 2018-10-13 00:37:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10502793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taliesin_niseilaT/pseuds/Taliesin_niseilaT
Summary: Trapped in a musical dreamworld, Barry runs into Julian. It would seem they’re more important to each other here than Barry could ever have imagined.





	

**Author's Note:**

> The title is from ‘Meet Me In The Woods’ by Lord Huron.

_and I come back changed, I can feel it in my bones_

****

Barry’s lost track of Kara for five minutes when he hears yet another familiar voice behind him. ‘There you are, love! You really should be on stage by now.’ Barry’s utterly shocked to find himself with an armful of blond CSI and a hot mouth pressed to his.

‘Julian?!’ Julian grins, kisses him again. ‘Mm, babe, you know I _love_ to roleplay, but it will have to wait till after your performance, I’m afraid.’ Julian’s eyes are soft and he’s smiling at Barry in a way he has never done before.

 

Before he’s quite sure what to do, Barry is on stage singing a slow, dark song about loss and pain. He can feel Julian’s eyes on his back throughout. It’s a good thing that he apparently automatically knows the song in this dreamworld, because he keeps thinking about Julian touching him, _kissing_ him like it’s no big deal, just their everyday reality. Towards the final notes of the song, Barry finally spots Kara in the crowd, talking to Cisco. He steps off the stage after accepting a round of applause. It’s apparently the end of his shift, because Winn shoos him off and calls for Kara. Julian’s next to him just moments later.

 

‘Let’s go home, Barry,’ Julian says, taking his hand. A touch of cold steel surprises Barry, so he looks down and notices a silver ring on Julian’s finger. _Oh god._ ‘Can I just – I need to talk to Kara for a minute.’ He pulls away quickly and walks over to Kara. 

 

‘Who’s your _friend?_ ’ Kara says with a grin. Barry blushes, fidgeting nervously. ‘Julian. We work together, and he’s on Team Flash. He’s usually... different. He doesn’t go around kissing me all the time, for a start. Kara, he wants me to go home with him. What do I do?’ Kara shrugs. ‘Follow the plot.’

‘But, you –’

‘I’ll be fine, Barry. Go!’ She waves at him before taking her own place on stage. Barry lets Julian lead him to the back door of the club. ‘See you later, Barry, Patrick!’ Cisco calls out to Julian. Well, at least Barry knows his name now.

 

It’s only a short walk from the nightclub to a large townhouse split up into several apartments. Julian seems content to lead the way to the top floor, unlocking the door and pulling Barry inside. He has a million questions about their relationship, them apparently living together, Julian’s _ring_. More importantly, if this world is of Barry’s own creation, then what does it say about him that he’s with Julian and not with Iris? He thinks about breaking up with her, about the night he went to Julian’s, the brief moment when Julian took his hand and failed to hide the warmth in his eyes when they met Barry’s.

 

This Julian is busying himself in the kitchen, pouring wine – can Barry get drunk in this reality? Better be careful – and making sandwiches. ‘Do you want to eat up on the roof?’

‘Um, yeah, sure. The weather looks good enough,’ Barry says before getting distracted by a black-and-white photograph of the two of them with a mountain range in the background, Julian showing off his ring. That seems to make it pretty clear they’re engaged, unless – Barry glances down at his own hands. No ring. Not married yet, then.

 

Julian steps into the sitting room with a tray of food and drinks and Barry hurries over to help him. ‘Thanks,’ Julian says, ‘you know I love the rooftop, but these stairs are too bloody steep.’ The stairs in question turn out to be hidden behind a door. Quite the magical apartment his brain has cooked up. The roof terrace is small and cosy, with a table for two set up underneath a magnificent sky full of stars.

 

They eat, and talk, and Barry _really_ shouldn’t be surprised when Julian starts singing once they’ve finished their food.

 

_Every day I hear the same songs about luxury_

_But I’ve got the finest thing and he’s sitting right in front of me_

_It’s you I would choose, honey_

_It’s you I would choose_

 

Barry’s always thought it would be very embarrassing to be sung to like that, but being in a musical dreamworld makes it okay, apparently. And Julian looks great like this, soft and affectionate, doing something silly like serenade Barry on a rooftop. ‘You’re being quiet today,’ Julian says, ‘I thought a song might cheer you up.’ This time, Barry’s the one who pulls Julian into a kiss. The other man responds enthusiastically, gently pushing him up against the solid brick parapet. It’s a bit of a rush, trusting Julian to hold him tight on the edge of the roof. They kiss slowly, and it occurs to Barry he’s never kissed a man before today. It feels good. He slides his hands up Julian’s arms, grips his shoulders and his hair. Julian kisses his neck, unbuttons his shirt in order to reach his collarbones. It’s hard to deny how good Julian’s mouth feels on Barry’s skin. A moan slips out through his gritted teeth, but when the sound of an ambulance tears up the night, the reality of where they are hits Barry hard.

 

‘We’re kind of out in the open here,’ Barry whispers. Julian laughs, his breath hot on Barry’s ear when he says, ‘We’ve done worse up here than just make out. Remember?’ _No, because that wasn’t me._ ‘Still, I’d feel more comfortable indoors,’ Barry insists. ‘Mm, okay,’ Julian mutters against his lips, ‘Have it your way.’

 

Julian takes him to his – no, _their_ bedroom, lays him out on the bed and strips him off slowly, determined to kiss every inch of skin he bares. The air around them seems hazy and Barry feels floaty, with Julian’s weight heavy on top of him. He whines when Julian lazily unbuckles Barry’s belt. ‘You okay?’ Julian says, his voice husky.

‘Yes. This is – I want to.’

Julian smiles. ‘Me too, darling.’

 

Barry’s just getting really, really comfortable with the idea of sleeping with Julian, when he hears a phone ringing. ‘Shit,’ Julian groans, reaching onto the bedside table to answer a _landline,_ and Barry hadn’t even given much thought to the time period this musical takes place in. Judging by the look of the telephone, he would guess they’re in the eighties.

‘It’s for you, love,’ Julian says, passing him the receiver.

‘Hello?’ Barry says warily.

‘Barry, it’s me. Cisco – I mean Pablo – he knows where Iris is. You gotta get over here,’ Kara whispers excitedly through the phone.

‘Right now?’

‘Yes, right now, what else have you got to do, Barry?’ Kara pauses for a second to think, then says, ‘Don’t answer that,’ and Barry laughs, tells her goodbye and puts down the phone.

 

‘I have to go,’ Barry says and Julian smiles ruefully, as if he was expecting exactly this. ‘I’ll see you later?’ he says with a question in his eyes, reaching up for one last lingering kiss.

‘You will,’ Barry assures him, ‘One way or another.’

**Author's Note:**

> The song Julian sings is ‘It’s you I would choose’ by Tom Felton.


End file.
